Sing to Me, Muse
by ALittleTreecko
Summary: A series of 100 one-shots revolving around Crona x Maka. Constructive criticism appreciated! Rating may go up. 9/100 one shots completed.
1. Introductions

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

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1. Introductions

Crona and Maka didn't have the most conventional of introductions. Normally, you introduce yourself once. They had two opportunites to do so. Once in the church Santa Maria Novella and once in the bowels of the DWMA. The first one didn't count, because battling each other in the church Santa Maria Novella hardly counted as getting to know one another. But the second doesn't really matter either.

_My name's Maka, I'm a scythe meister. Tell me who you are._

_Demon Swordsman Crona._

Spitting out their names as threats hardly seemed a fitting beginning for the pair, no better than their first meeting. Those beginnings didn't fit with the story that would soon become Maka and Crona's. Beginnings like those couldn't even begin to describe the pain, the joy, the sadness, the _bond_ that these two would share. In those moments where they stared each other down, ready to kill, the pair would have no idea what was in store for them. Their fates would soon intertwine with one another; so much that it would be impossible to separate them. Their souls would bond so tightly, it would pain them to be apart from the other. Maka would go searching halfway around the world for Crona. Crona would almost be killed protecting Maka.

Just as fairy tales begin with a few select words, so did their story.

_Will you be my friend?_

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**Hey! This is my first Soul Eater fanfiction, so I hope I didn't do too terribly. This is going to be a series of 100 one shots, following the 100 themes. And what's the topic? Crona x Maka! Or CroMa, as many like to call it. They'll vary in length, I think, depending on each theme. Also, Crona is a guy in this story. I can see him/her both ways, I just chose guy to make this easier on myself. Either way, I ship Crona with Maka. Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated! **


	2. Complicated

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

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2. Complicated

Crona was a simple person. He woke up, he ate, he killed, he slept. Under Medusa, his life was simple. Every moment of every day, he knew what was expected of him. There were no surprises. Medusa didn't like surprises. And so, he was content. Simplicity was easy to deal with.

Then came along Maka. Maka, with her determined look. Maka, with her scythe. Maka, with her strange rules that differed from Medusa's. Maka and her pigtails that reminded him _so much_ of the Little One. And her hug. The hug that changed everything.

Maka liberated him from the nightmare he didn't even know he was living. She gave him friends, a home, a sense of purpose. She introduced him to society.

What a scary word, _"society"_. Society meant knowing how to act around other people. Society meant acting brave, being cool, living up to _everyone's_ standards. It meant that you were defined by how you looked. It meant that you had to know how to be a friend.

Crona always felt that he didn't belong. Society was no place for a black blooded psychopath. No place for the son of a witch that not even its own mother loved. But Maka's presence shooed all those bad thoughts away, replacing them with nice fuzzy ones that tap danced in his belly whenever he looked over at her.

He stole a glance at Maka, who was bent over her notebook, writing down whatever Stein said with gusto, grinning at every new piece of information she absorbed. She noticed his stare and turned to face him. She smiled lightly. He blushed a faint gray and smiled back. She returned to her notes.

Crona settled his head back into his crossed arms on the desk and sighed. Complexity was hell in a basket, for sure. But with his complicated new life-style came Maka, and if she was there, then everything would be fine.

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**Hey guys! Second one-shot of 100 here! A fiftieth of the way there. I'm gonna keep an official count in the summary, k? Be on the lookout for more updates.**

**Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated!**


	3. Making History

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

3. Making History

Students shuffled out of Sid's class, eager to get to lunch. One of the students shuffling out of the classroom was Maka Albarn, chatting with her partner, Soul. Crona walked along side them as well, but he was mostly listening in on their conversation. He couldn't follow what they were saying very well, but he was sure it had something to do with Sid's lecture.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed across the hallway, silencing the chatter that had been echoing around the halls.

"COME ONE, COME ALL! BREAK A RECORD AND GET YOUR NAME IN THE DWMA BOOK OF FAME!" Everyone's attention snapped to the figure standing on a pile of books. It was Ox Ford, waving a clipboard around in one hand and brandishing a megaphone in the other. He spoke into the megaphone. "THE FIRST _EVER_ DWMA BOOK OF FAME IS BEING PUBLISHED BY _ME_! JUST SIGN UP TO BREAK A RECORD OFF OF THIS LIST HERE-!" He waved the clipboard a bit faster. "AND GET YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK! IT'S THAT SIMPLE! YOU'LL MAKE DWMA _HISTORY_!"

And suddenly, there was a stampede of students heading towards Ox for the list. Reflexively, Maka grabbed on to Crona's hand so he wouldn't get dragged away by the crowd. For the most part, she was successful; they both got out of the crowd without too much damage. Soul wasn't so lucky. He was trampled and pushed around by the hoard of people, and it wasn't until much later in the day that Maka and Crona could catch up with him.

The pair held onto each others hands in a death grip. Maka scowled, glaring in the crowd's direction. "I ought to chop Ox into oblivion for causing such a ruckus!" she growled. She thought for a moment. "Screw '_ought to_', I'm gonna go over there and give him a piece of my mind!" She stomped towards the crowd, a frightened Crona in tow.

The crowd departed as quickly as it arrived, and when the pair got there, there was nothing left but a dazed Ox, laying on the ground, holding several copies of his list. Even the books he was standing on had disappeared. "Hey, Ox!" Maka yelled.

The bespectacled boy snapped out of his daze and sat up. He smirked up at the girl, clenching his list a bit harder. "Oh, so the great Maka Albarn has paid a visit to lowly Ox Ford." He mocked. "You may have gotten the best grade on the big super test, but I can see you _seething_ with envy at my sudden popularity."

Behind Maka, Crona's expression turned dangerously protective of his friend, but Maka didn't notice.

"That was several months ago, Ox. Let it go." Maka scoffed. She raised her book into the air threateningly. "What I want to know is why you're publishing a DWMA record book all of a sudden and why you decided to announce it _in the halls_ before lunchtime instead of- oh I don't know- _in the morning announcements over the P.A system!_"

Ox gulped. "Well.. you see… I made a bet with Harvar, and I lost. I_ might _have bet him double or nothing several times… So now I owe him quite a bit. If I sell these once they're printed, I'll make enough money to pay up, _and_ turn a large profit too!" He smirked up at her.

_MAKA CHOP!_

"You're really an idiot, _you know that?!_" You're _fifteen, _what could you have possibly bet on to warrant nearly _trampling us over_!?" She yelled down to the unconscious boy's sprawled and bleeding form. "_Lemme see the damn list_!" She snatched it from Ox's clipboard.

She scanned the list. "Well, these aren't all stupid records, I'll give him that." A record caught her eye. "Hey Crona?"

"Y-yes, Maka?"

"Remember that hug underground? During our battle?"

Images of a younger Maka and himself flooded his head. And then her wonderful hug. He smiled contentedly. "Yeah…." He was willing to bet money that his face was flushed.

"Would that count as soul resonance?" She glanced at Crona over her list and was met with a confused stare. She explained. "It felt like soul resonance to me at least, on a much more tender scale."

Crona looked down, clutching his arm. "Well… to me it k-kinda felt like…like…" he trailed off, searching desperately for words that were not there. Try as he might, he could not put words to the absolutely _wonderful_ sensation he felt when she hugged him. So, he gave up. "…Yeah, I guess it was soul resonance."

Maka gave a quick nod and folded up the paper. She linked arms with him. "C'mon. Let's go to lunch."

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"Hey Croooooona!"

"Eh?" Crona looked up from his book to see a smiling Maka holding something behind her back. "W-what do you have there?"

"Remember that record book Ox announced several months ago?"

"…Yeah…?" Crona fidgeted on his couch. Well _her_ couch. It was her apartment, but he came over so often, it might as well have been his couch.

Maka plopped down next to him and pulled out a big, blue, leather bound, hardcover book from behind her back. On the front were stamped the words, _DWMA Book Of Fame_. She handed it off to him. "Turn to page 274."

Tentatively, he flipped to the dog-eared page, and was astounded by what he found. It was a picture of him and Maka, the one from their first party together.

_Best Resonance Pair: Maka and Crona_

_ Most meisters are not able to resonate with one another without the use of a weapon. The closest anyone can come to accomplishing this feat in group resonance, but that requires weapons. The fact that the resonance between these two young meisters is so strong is astonishing to say the least, and they therefore have been awarded the title of best resonance pair._

He looked up at her. "Wha… when..?" Maka smiled proudly.

"I submitted this entry to Ox for the book. We won." She looked him in the eyes. "Crona, every weapon and meister pair in the school submitted an entry for this category. Out of all of them, we won. Do you know what that means?"

"No…"

"It means our friendship is stronger than anyone else's weapon-meister bond, _in the entire school_. "

He blushed. Out of everyone in the school…? Crona gave a small smile. "…Our friendship is really that strong, huh?"

"Yeah… Hey Crona?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for being my best friend."

"You were mine first." He reached around her and embraced her gently. Crona nuzzled into the crook of her neck. "Thanks…."

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**Weeee! Long one shot is long, and really doesn't have anything to do with the prompt. Oh well. I like it. Constructive criticism appreciated!**


	4. Rivalry

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

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Maka and Crona were sitting across from each other, staring each other down. Neither willing to move or shift focus, simply staring into each other's eyes. Waiting. Watching. Slowly blushing, in Crona's case.

Crona blinked. He groaned and leaned back on the couch.

"AH HAH!" Maka cheered jumping up. "I win!"

"N-no fair!" He complained playfully. "Your eyes are green, and not only are they green, they're an _intense_ green. I don't know how to deal with such a piercing glare!"

"No excuses, " Maka sang. She picked up a pad of paper and a pencil from the nearby coffee table. She drew a tally mark next to her name. "Alright, so I won the staring contest." She took a moment to stick her tongue out at him. He huffed and crossed his arms petulantly. "So what's next in our grand tournament of games?"

Crona's gaze shifted upwards in thought. "Um… we've done the game with the grid thing and x's and o's… Tic-tac-toe?" Maka nodded. "O-okay… we've done tic-tac-toe, umm… hangman was it? Yeah, hangman, uh… what else?"

"Jenga, Trouble, Ring Toss… a couple others too." She glanced at the pad of paper again. "Hey, we're tied."

"…S-so…?"

"That means the next game will determine the winner of our little tournament," she said ominously. She grinned widely and walked over to her closet full of board games. Crona followed. "What will our final game be…?"

Crona gazed at the boxes full of games that filled the narrow closet. When Maka first showed him the closet, he couldn't believe the sheer number of games there were to play. And Maka had assured him that there were many more that she didn't own.

"…Thanks for teaching me about little games like this Maka…" He clutched his right arm with his left hand. "I'm really grateful, truly."

"It's no big deal!" She smiled as she sifted through the many boxes. "I know you don't like playing sports with Black*Star and the others; I don't either. So, I thought board games and simple games like tic-tac-toe would be good for us to play. And I might as well make use of all these games Soul buys but never plays."

He nodded and joined Maka in her search for the perfect game. "H-hey, what about this one?" He carefully pulled out a box with a cartoon man that sort of looked like the one on cans of Pringles. "'Monopoly'?" He read.

"We don't have enough players. I don't like it anyway; it always disintegrates into arguing over if the banker is cheating or not." She took a step back and looked at all the games. "I don't think we should play something from the closet. All the games we haven't played take too long or aren't really that good."

"S-so then what should we play?"

"Hmm…" Maka put her hand on her chin, thinking. She lit up all of a sudden. "I know! Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

"…W-what?"

"Basically a hand game. Here I'll show you."

After a brief explanation and much questioning over why paper beats rock, the two faced each other, ready to battle.

"Best two out of three. Ready Crona?"

"R-Ready."

The first round ended with a triumphant _whoop!_ from Crona and then a blush when Maka giggled at the sound he made. The second round ended with a victorious Maka dancing around the living room a little bit.

It was time for the third round, and they were tied, 1-1.

"Let's go Crona!"

"R-Rock."

"Paper."

"Scissors."

"_Shoot!_"

Crona shut his eyes, refusing to see if he'd lost or not. Finally, he looked at Maka's hand, and then his own.. "You win…" he conceded, smiling a little. He extended his hand out for a handshake.

Maka beamed and shook Crona's hand enthusiastically. She picked up her pad and pencil again, drawing another tally mark next to her name. "Looks like I won this little tournament. But don't worry! You get a reward for being a good sport about losing!"

She quickly pulled him into a hug, effectively shocking him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her. "You should get a prize too, Maka…" he muttered.

Maka looked up at him and let go, much to Crona's dissapointment. She smiled sincerely. "I got to spend the day with my best friend in the whole wide world. He's sweet, kind, genuine and one of the bravest people out there, what better prize could I ask for?"

Crona looked down and off to the side. "B-but Maka… I'm none of those things… I am weak… cowardly…."

She pulled him into a hug again and held him firmly. "We've had this conversation before. Now hush up and accept that you are wonderful. Say it. Repeat after me. I. Am. Wonderful."

"…I-I am w…wonderful…?"

"Why, _yes_ you are Crona." Maka grinned. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Hmm… you should probably go now before they lock up the school." She let go. "Have a good night Crona!"

"Night Maka…." Crona waved nervously. And he was out the door, on his way off into the star-filled night.

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**Yay, fluff! If you hate it, drop a review and I'll improve myself. If you love it, drop a review and I'll keep going. A twenty fifth of the way there! Constructive criticism always appreciated!**


	5. Unbreakable

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

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5. Unbreakable

Something was wrong with Maka.

It made Crona nervous, seeing Maka curl up in the armchair, sniffling about who knows what. Soul was in the room, trying to coax an explanation out of Maka, but she refused to speak, while Crona felt absolutely useless sitting at the far end of their living room.

"Maka… Is there something I can do to help? At all?"

He was met with silence.

"At least tell me while you're crying. This isn't cool, not at all. If I can help…"

Silence. Crona fidgeted on the couch.

Soul sighed, and rose from his kneeling position by the armchair. He walked over to Crona and clapped him on the shoulder. "Look, dude," he sighed. "I can't get her to talk. I've been trying for half an hour. Nothing's working. If there's anyone who can calm her down when I can't, it's you."

Crona recoiled. "M-me? I couldn't possibly… I-I still have trouble calming myself down, m-much less other people."

"I'm confident that you've got this." He smirked when Crona fidgeted some more. "Do I need to pull out that stupid record book again? What was it, page 374?"

The pink haired meister looked down and blushed. "274," he muttered. Soul had a point; he was the only one who that that strong of a bond with Maka, outside of battle at least.

Soul smirked. "I'm gonna be in the kitchen, making tea for Maka and some dinner for myself. If you need me, give a shout." His smirk fell as he looked behind him towards a silently crying Maka. He sighed and stared Crona straight in the eyes. "I hope you can help her. It pains me to see her like this." Soul blinked, and made his way into the kitchen.

The demon swordsman's eyes followed Soul until he was out of the room and then refocused on Maka. Poor Maka. His saving grace, his best friend, reduced to staining the armchair with her tears. He shuffled over to Maka and took the kneeling position Soul had been in previously.

"H-hey Maka…."

Silence.

"I-I know I'm not much of a support system… or a very good friend for that matter…." He gently placed his hand on her back and started rubbing circles to soothe her. "But you're my best friend, Maka. My first friend. And I'm going to help you through whatever's troubling you."

He still didn't receive a response. Crona sighed and stopped rubbing her back. He racked his mind to find someway to help her, when inspiration struck. "M-Maka… I'm gonna r-resonate with you… To provide some sort of comfort… If you don't want me to, t-that's okay too…"

Maka stirred in the arm chair. She turned to face him and with eyes still puffy from crying, she nodded.

Crona blinked and blushed a little moving to sit next to her. Maka scooted over to accommodate him. The shy boy immediately wrapped his arms around her while she nestled her head into his chest. He concentrated on this next bit; this was the tricky part.

He'd resonated with Maka a couple of times before, but she was always the first to reach out with her soul. Crona huffed in concentration. _You can do this!_, he thought. _You know her soul wavelength, just reach out…!_ After a matter of seconds, he could feel it. Maka's soul… always so warm and inviting. He frowned. _Why is it trembling like that? _He reached out his soul wavelength to her soul and they snapped together.

Maka shifted in his arms a little. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. Crona smiled back and held her a little tighter while they resonated. He placed his chin on her head.

"Y-you want to share what's made you so upset?" Crona whispered. He felt Maka shake her head against his chest. "It's o-okay if you don't share. I just want you to know th-that you will bounce back from whatever hurt you… I know b-because you are the strongest p-person I know..."

Maka sighed and Crona could feel the tears seeping into his robe.

He resumed rubbing Maka's back in soothing circles. "You are unbreakable, Maka. D-don't you forget it." His eyes steeled. "I won't let anything c-close enough to try and break you. I w-will try to protect you the best that I can… I can't do much but I can p-promise you this; I will always stay by your side to protect you from the bad things you don't want to deal with." Maka sniffled and reached around to hug him.

"Thank you…" She snuggled into him a bit more. They embraced, just enjoying each other's company and resonating, both of them losing track of the time. Crona kept rubbing Maka's back slowly. Fairly soon, Crona and Maka were yawning, fending off sleep.

"I… I think I'll be ready to share with you in the morning… it's getting late… Crona…?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you mind if I fall asleep against you?"

Crona blushed a bright crimson and stopped rubbing. Very grateful that Maka could not see his face, he responded. "I-I don't mind… Sh-should I break off the resonance…?"

"Nah…" she yawned. "Keep resonating. It's soothing for me…" She leaned even further against his chest and in a few minutes, she was peacefully snoring away.

"Sorry that took so long, I was _hungry_." Soul walked into the room, carrying a cup of tea when he caught sight of Maka snoozing away on a crimson Crona. Soul stared at Crona and he stared back. He handed the cup to Crona. "…You might need that to calm down and stop blushing."

Crona accepted the cup bashfully. He drank the lukewarm liquid and placed the empty cup on the coffee table. "G-good night, Soul…"

"Night, Crona." He flicked the switch on his way out.

"…Good night, Maka…" he whispered. He fell asleep hugging Maka, the two still resonating as they slumbered.

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**Hey! This little story will be continued in a future prompt… I just won't tell you what number, so it'll be a surprise! This one does kinda reference a past prompt, but it's okay, as long as you read it… Constructive criticism always appreciated!**


	6. Obsession

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

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6. Obsession

Humans are wimps. All of them. I'm not being hypocritical either, 'cause I'm not human. I'm _blood_; totally different.

Why are they wimps? In one word: feelings. Man, I've seen feelings screw things up so many times, it's hilarious. See, me 'n Crona, we've had to spy on people before- to gauge how strong they are before I cut 'em down to size and eat their souls. Holy _shit_, humans are screwed up. We've seen people killing each other over the stupidest of things. And why? Because of _feelings_. Hatred, love, pride, honor, the whole freaking spectrum. I kill for souls, pure and simple. I get hungry, I kill, I eat. If I can't eat human souls, eh, I'll settle for pre-Kishin's. Or human food, but souls are tastier.

I'd always tried to control this pink haired wimp's feelings so he doesn't screw anything up. He'd always feel sorry for the bunnies he had to kill when we lived under Medusa and refused to kill them. So in the dark room he would be locked in as punishment, I'd knock some sense into him. I'd tell him to kill the damned thing, 'cause we wouldn't get fed until he did. I'm used to controlling him. I control his feelings, his desires, his safety, his… well, _everything_.

But there's one thing that I just can't control, and I hate it. See, my meister's _obsessed_. With what? A girl. A girl of all things! HA! As if he could attract anyone female with his ugly face! You'd think the girl he's attracted to would have big tits and a nice body, considering he's attached to yours truly, but nooo! He's going for that flat-chested, bitchy _cow_, Maka Albarn. Goddamn. And you know what the worst part of it is? He doesn't even _know_ he's obsessed. _He_ thinks that all his feelings are simply admiration and friendship. I am his goddamned blood; I go through his brain a thousand times _daily_, so I know what goes on up there. Let me tell ya, those thoughts are _definitely_ not platonic.

I can easily predict what's gonna happen if I don't fix these stupid feelings of his. This stupid obsession is gonna cause him so much pain once the blockhead figures out he's infatuated. Not that I care about him being in pain. Worst case scenario; once he sorts out his crummy "feelings", he'll fall in love with the cow. He'll be too cowardly to tell her, but she'll figure it out eventually. And she will shoot him down _fast_, shut down their friendship and hang him out to dry. So _I_ will be stuck with his poor, whiny brokenhearted ass, crying about his little cow.

HELL no. I'm not gonna put up with that whiny brat! Whatever Crona's "feelings" are, it'll only end up in disaster for him. He'll only end up getting hurt; by the bitch or by his own messed up "feelings". This has to end, and if he doesn't put a stop to it, I will. The end justifies the means, and I ain't got a conscience. Crona had better stop obsessing over Maka, 'cause I can't guarantee the cow's safety if he doesn't.

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**Not everything CroMa can be fluff, as much as I want it to be. It'd get a little boring, even if it is adorable, especially for 100 one shots. I've got to have some semblance of plot, right? Constructive criticism always appreciated!**


	7. Eternity

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

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7. Eternity

Silence boomed throughout Crona's room, interrupted rhythmically by the turning of pages and light snores. It was a sort of musical silence, Maka mused. A page turn, followed by an inhale and an exhale, inhale, exhale, page turn. Over and over again until Maka paused in her reading.

It wasn't a particularly interesting book, she decided. The demon swordsman had been bored to sleep reading it, but she had chalked it up to his poor sleeping habits. Now thoroughly bored and tired, she listened to her best friend peacefully slumber away.

A soft inhale, an exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. _Isn't this kinda creepy?_ she wondered. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

It was kind of uncomfortable sitting on his bed, with her back against the wall for so long. Her position was uncomfortable, but so was the bed. She could understand now why he opted to sleep in that corner all the time. Maka couldn't move though, for fear of waking up the sleeping swordsman.

Maka turned her head and observed him. Crona looked so relaxed and at ease. The worry lines around his eyes seemed to have melted away, and his lips were curled into a very small smile. He was peaceful. She tucked one of his stray bangs behind his ear. For once, he was oblivious to all his troubles and Maka couldn't be happier.

Crona suddenly snuggled against her shoulder and slowly wrapped his arms around her, still asleep. "Maka…" he murmured. She smiled. After a short while, she leaned her head back against the wall and sighed.

"If I could," she muttered, voice bleary with exhaustion. "I'd spend an eternity right here, in this moment. Sitting, relaxed… at peace. No Kishins to fight. No madness lingering on the horizon. If you had an eternity, Crona, would you spend it with me…? " Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. "It's a long time to put up with my short temperament, I think. But, you know what? I'd give an eternity, just to spend it with you. I'd give anything, Crona. Anything to see you smile…"

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**YAY, FLUFF. I haven't written much from Maka's point of view aside from this… I should fix that. This one's a little on the short side, but whatever. Anyways, constructive criticism always appreciated!**


	8. Death

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

8. Death

The little fish swum around in its bowl. Left, right, up, down, through the miniature DWMA. Crona observed the little fishy swimming, and looked up at the boy holding the bowl.

"K-Kid? Why do you h-have a fish with you?"

Kid cleared his throat and straightened up. "I am under the impression that you never had a pet to love and care for. I believe this is something every child should go through, and as the new Lord Death, I cannot let you live your life without having a pet. Why, I remember having a little kitten when I was younger. My dad called it "Kiddy", which really wasn't amusing, but its official name was Bartholomew Mittensworth VIII." He held out the fish bowl. "Therefore, I present you with Finnegan Fisher VIII."

Astonished, Crona picked up the bowl. "R-Really?" The pink haired meister grinned from ear to ear. "I get to have a p-pet…?"

"You sure do."

"Oh, _thank_ you, Kid! I'll take excellent care of Finnegan, I p-promise!"

"Great," Kid grinned. "You just need to buy fish food for it and look up how to care for goldfish."

"Oh…" Crona blanched. "H-How big of a responsibility is it?"

"Not too much, you just have to remember to feed it and clean out its bowl, but online guides will teach you how to do it optimally. I know you'll love caring for it. Have fun with Finnegan!"

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"Maka! Maka!" Crona shouted. He was running as fast as his robe would allow him to towards the balcony overlooking Death City. A sitting Maka looked up from her homework.

"Oh, hey Crona! What's up?"

Crona stopped abruptly, bending over and placing his hands on his knees. He took large gulps of air. "Guess… guess what?" He panted. "Death… Death the Kid… he g-got me a pet!" He straightened up, smiling. "I g-get to have a pet!"

Maka stood up and hugged him. "That's great, Crona!"

He hugged back, before quickly pulling away in his excitement. "C-C'mon, let's go see my fish! I n-need to feed it now, s-so I'll show you my pet!"

Crona held Maka's wrist, gently and hurriedly leading her to his room in the dungeon. He rambled on about the fish as they speed-walked. "F-Finn's a great fish… Did I t-tell you his name?… I call him Finn, b-but his full name's Finnegan Fisher VIII… I don't know if th-there were seven other Finnegan Fishers or if Kid just names all his pets the eighth… I love my fish though, i-it's so interesting to watch it swim around… here we are!"

Crona smiled and pushed his steel door open. On the desk sat a(perfectly symmetrical) fishbowl, which he led Maka to. He turned to Maka and motioned to the bowl as if to say, "Ta-da!"

After a few moments of silence, which Crona assumed to be Maka's speechlessness as she drank in the awe inspiring aura of Finnegan Fisher VIII, Maka spoke.

"Uhh… Crona?"

"Yep?"

"…Where's the fish?"

Immediately, Crona whirled around to stare into the bowl. He stared intently, waiting for a ripple of water, the fleeting sight of a fin, a tail, _anything_ that would tell that the fish was still there. Nothing. He smiled meekly. "M-Maybe he's in the mini DWMA…?"

Maka took his hand in hers. "I think he's gone, Crona."

Wetness gathered in Crona's eyes and began to roll down his cheeks. "Y-You mean… Finn's d-d-de…." He swallowed. "D-dead…?"

Maka looked down. Crona burst into tears and Maka took the weeping meister into her arms holding him tight. "Shh… shh… it's okay, Crona. It'll be alright…"

A sudden series of eight knocks startled them both, and Maka instructed Crona to sit on the bed while she answered the door.

"This really isn't a good time, Kid!" She said sternly as she swung the door open.

The aforementioned boy blinked, startled by her attitude. "I'm sorry, Maka. I just wanted to come in and check on Finnegan and see if everything was…" He caught sight of Crona, laying down and sniffling with his back to the door. "…Okay….?"

Maka sighed and moved aside as Kid walked in. "See…" she started. "Crona's fish has… passed away…" Kid gasped. "The thing is though, the fish's…body…" Crona cried harder. "…should still be in the bowl… belly-side up and all. It isn't though."

"That's terrible!" Kid frowned. "What could have possibly happened to it?"

"That's just it! We don't know!" She sighed, listening to Crona sob.

They both looked down, unable to face Crona while he was mourning the loss of his first and only pet. Maka broke the silence.

"Crona… Crona's my best friend… I want to be there to protect him from being exposed to anymore bad things in his life… He's been through enough already, but I guess I can't protect him forever…" She sniffled. "This pains me, Kid. I can feel his pain as if it were my own… I'm… I'm fighting back crying as we speak…"

Kid nodded sympathetically. "The poor kid has seen more than his fair share of horrors in the world… We have to find out what happened to the fish… but we must go about this methodically." He turned to Crona. "We must be detectives, Crona, and figure out what happened to Finnegan Fisher VIII."

"Kid, we don't have to play Sherlock Holmes, we've got to reason our way through this," Maka said, wiping away tears that threatened to fall.

He didn't seem to acknowledge her. "Come along, Watson!" he exclaimed with a fake British accent. "We must look for clues!"

"'_Watson_'?"

"I'm _trying_ to make him _laugh,_" he growled through clenched teeth. After a harp glare from Maka, he regained his manner of professionalism. "Anyway…. the fact of the matter is, the fish is not in its bowl, and if its out of the bowl, we can assume it's either dead or someone stole it."

Crona shot up like a rocket. "_Someone s-stole Finn?!_"

"Nonononono, Crona! Calm down! Who would steal a goldfish?" Maka tried to reason. But Crona broke into a new bout of hysterics at the idea that someone had broken in and stolen one of the only things he'd ever loved.

"_I'm sick of hearing you cry, dammit!" _A new voice cried from inside Crona. A mass of black blood emerged from Crona's back and manifested itself into the form of Ragnarok. "I ATE THE GODDAMNED FISH. HAPPY?! MYSTERY SOLVED."

For several seconds, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. And the echo of the pin. Then, collectively, the humans in the room began shouting. The room was filled with the sounds Kid incredulously questioning Ragnarok("How do you _eat_ a live _fish_?!"), Maka yelling that she was going to bash his head in, and Crona half wailing, half sobbing about his fish.

"SHUDDUP, ALL OF YOU!" Ragnarok shouted. "I'm JUSTIFIED in eating the damn thing! I was HUNGRY in the middle of the night and since I don't have _legs_, I grabbed the fish from its bowl and ate it. What other purpose would it serve beside being sushi?! If anything, I did it a FAVOR and put it out of its misery, instead of dying slowly because Crona's probably really shitty at caring for things. I'M NOT SORRY."

_MAKA CHOP! _

"OW, my freaking HEAD!"

"_THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR WHAT YOU DID TO CRONA!_"

_ MAKA CHOP!_

Ragnarok dangled off of Crona's back, unconscious. The black mass dissolved after a while and returned into Crona's bloodstream.

"You DESERVED that," Maka huffed, steam rising out of her ears.

Crona sniffled, and Maka quickly moved to sit next to him. Wrapped in an embrace, Crona cried into her shoulder.

Kid shifted around, still standing by the door, uncomfortable. "Ummm… I feel awkward just standing here…Should I….Should I leave now…?"

"Just… just go away for a while Kid... If you could, bring back Crona some water from the cafeteria," Maka suggested, exasperated.

"…I'll be back in eight."

As soon as Kid left, Crona began to bawl.

"It's okay, Crona… " Maka soothed.

"It's _n-not , _M-Maka!" Shocked, Maka stared at Crona. Crona hardly ever disagreed with anyone because of his passive nature, and for him to disagree with _Maka_, his _best friend_? It was unheard of.

"Why not, Crona?"

"W-What if this happens to everything I l-love?! Every time I love something, it'll just die! The thing will disappear f-from my life f-forever and never come back, h-how is t-that fair?!"

"Don't think that way!" She reprimanded. "Some things will leave you that you love, it's an unfair part of life. Pets will die, people will leave. But I promise, _I _will never, ever leave you. I won't. Even if everything else up and leaves I will always be with you. Even… even if I die. I'll still be with you in here…" She tapped his head. "And in here." She poked his chest. "I won't die on you. You'll never be alone, I swear it, Crona. It happened once, but I won't let it happen again!" She pressed him against herself. "Never again… You're too special, Crona. You're my best friend… I'll never abandon you… Never…"

Maka held on to him tight and all became silent in the small room, and that's when Death the Kid decided to take his leave. He took his weight off of the steel door he had been leaning on and started heading into the school, off to fetch Crona his water, pondering the conversation he "accidentally" overheard.

"So… Maka and Crona, huh…? I see that happening… I wonder if Maka will 'fess up, I mean, it's rather obvious… Actually, I don't think she even knows she likes him that way… Hmm…who knows, only time will tell… But, I don't think I'm wrong about this… when Death makes a prediction, he's almost never mistaken…"

* * *

**Okay, so I maaay have swapped theme number eight for theme number nine, but c'mon. "Death" fit way better as number eight than number nine. You'll find out what the original number eight was next prompt! Constructive criticism always appreciated!**


	9. Gateway

**_Disclaimer: All characters are created and owned by Ohkubo Atsushi. I do not claim ownership over any of them nor the world of Soul Eater._**

* * *

9. Gateway

"Great job on your mission guys," Kid smiled through the mirror, although the mask hid his expression. "A complete success, all pre-Kishin souls collected. If I'm not mistaken, I believe you two have a well earned Winter Break to look forward to. Happy Holidays! Rest up, and if there are no emergencies, I'll see you in the new year."

"Happy Holidays, Lord Death!" Crona and I chimed simultaneously. We turned to leave, and as we made our way through the many guillotines, I heard Kid cough. I could feel my cheeks beginning to burn as it registered that his cough had sounded uncannily similar to the word, "adorable". I glanced quickly towards Crona, who hadn't seemed to notice.

I didn't want to read to much into that, but I couldn't help thinking it over. My brain whirred, trying to understand why Kid had said that, if he'd said it at all. _Did Kid call me adorable? Or maybe it was directed at Crona? I'm pretty sure he knows Crona's a guy… although Crona is kinda cute… _I shook my head suddenly to clear the thoughts, for which Crona shot me a concerned look. He tentatively reached for my hand and grabbed it. I burned a little brighter. _I mean like a puppy! A little puppy that I wanna scoop up and take home and cuddle forever and ever. GAH! That's not what I meant either!_ I sighed._ Calm down, Maka…backtrack a little and evaluate what's going on. Kid called either you or Crona adorable. Or maybe he called us _both_ adorable… what would that mean? He finds us both adorable in general… or maybe as a pair…? _I looked down at my feet, bangs hiding my unnaturally red face. _Stop that, Maka! …Just… ignore the comment. It probably wasn't even meant to sound like a word in the first place…_

We walked in silence, swaying our interlocked hands back and forth. We had just reached the arching gateway that led back into the DWMA's main hallways when…

"YAHOOO…!"

Crona quickly shoved me aside moments before a black and blue blur jumped down from one of the guillotines and pinned him down to the ground. Black*Star grinned before standing up, one foot on Crona's stomach. He tilted his head up, pointing Tsubaki like a microphone and announcing, "Your GOD has ARRIVED!"

Crona groaned. "Oww…"

"BLACK*STAR, GET OFF OF HIM!" _MAKA CHOP!_

While Tsubaki transformed back into a human from Black*Star's hands to tend to his bleeding and unconscious body, I helped Crona off of the ground.

"You okay?" I muttered, extending a hand.

He accepted and I pulled him up. _His palm's warm…_ "I-I'm just glad you d-didn't get hurt…"

I beamed at him. "I owe that to you, Crona. Thanks." I hugged him, snuggling into his chest. _Is it me, or are my ears on fire?_

"Awww, how touching!" Black*Star cooed, still in Tsubaki's arms. I released Crona to turn toward Black*Star and snarl, book in hand. _How is he conscious?!_ "Now, kiss!"

Crona and I both recoiled. "_What_?!"

Tsubaki looked down sheepishly while Black*Star leaped out of her arms and pointed up. We simultaneously followed his finger. There, hanging from the gateway we were standing under, was some mistletoe. I could feel my entire face on fire and a weird churning in my stomach. Crona's reaction was more confused than anything else.

"H-Huh? What's that Maka? I d-don't understand…" I looked away.

"THAT, buddy, is mistletoe!" Black*Star grinned, hands on hips. "Whenever you stand under it with another person, you gotta kiss 'em!" Crona went completely pale before flushing an almost black shade of red.

Tsubaki bowed. "I'm so sorry, Maka… That's why we came down here; to warn you."

"I'll bet you thought I was just attacking Crona for the fun of it." Black*Star scoffed. "What kind of god just randomly pounces on his faithful disciples?" He pouted and crossed his arms. "Although, you guys aren't very faithful for believing that I wasn't bigger than that." He grinned. "And now, your god commands you to _kiss!_"

Crona made a choking sound and my face got even hotter.

We heard a squelching sound, and with that, Ragnarok appeared on Crona's head. "HELL NO!" He shouted, pushing down on his meister's noggin. "She isn't gonna put her fat cow lips on _my_ meister! Got that? _MY_ meister! I'm the only one who torments him, and one of your kisses is probably gonna traumatize him forever! Got that! _STAY AWAY_." To be honest, I would have found that extremely menacing and intimidating if he didn't look like a chibi.

"Who are _you_ to get in the way of your Supreme Commander's will? I'm going to have to take care of you…" Black*Star squinted at the black blob, apparently deep in thought. An idea struck him, and he sped over to me and snatched the book out of my hand. "Hey, can I borrow that? Thanks!"

"No, give that back!"

_BLACK*STAR CHOP!_

When the steam from the chop cleared, I could see Ragnarok holding his mitten-like hands over his head, protectively, and his eyes shut tight. He opened them slowly. "Hey, that wasn't really hard at all." If Ragnarok had a mouth that was visible when it was closed, I'm sure he would have been smirking. "Some _god_ you are! That puny little girl can chop harder than you can!"

Black*Star fumed. Tsubaki panicked. "Now, Black*Star, let's not do anything to impulsive-"

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT A STAR I AM!"

_BLACK*STAR CHOP!_

_ BLACK*STAR CHOP!_

_ BLACK*STAR CHOP!_

_ BLACK*STAR CHOP!_

Ragnarok's unconscious and steaming body melted back into Crona while Black*Star waved the book around triumphantly. "WOOO! That was AWESOME! I see why you do that so much!" He turned back to us. He waved my _favorite_ Maka-Chopping book tauntingly. "I have your weapon now, Maka! You have no power, so _KISS_ already!"

"No!"

"Come on! You have no choice! You're under the mistletoe, you _have_ to! It's tradition!"

I shook my head, and Black*Star started chanting. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Crona's face still had it's rosy hue and so did mine, so I turned to Tsubaki for help, pleading with my eyes.

"Black*Star _is_ putting a lot of pressure on you…" _She's gonna let us off the hook? Yes!_ "…but tradition is tradition…" She smiled sheepishly. _Dammit._

I looked back to Black*Star's smirking face and Tsubaki's patient one. _They won't let us go until we've kissed_. _Goddammit_. I turned back toward Crona, who was clenching his arm so tightly, I was sure he'd draw blood. "I can't deal with this…" he muttered, face aflame.

_Fine… I give in… _I mentally scoffed. _Score one for peer pressure… _I sighed. I glared at Black*Star. "Look, if this isn't okay with Crona, forget it! Alright?"

"But you've got to do it! Tradition!"

"Black*Star…" I growled.

He put up his hands in resignation. "Alright, fine. Crona!" Crona perked up. "You mind kissing Maka underneath mistletoe?"

I have _never_ seen that particular shade of red seep into someone's face as fast as it has into Crona's. "I-I… i-i-if… W-what I m-mean… I-I-I th-think…" He trailed off and made motions with his mouth as if he wanted to speak, but couldn't. He gave up with words and nodded swiftly, looking down at his feet.

I felt my own face burning again. "Crona, if you don't want to…"

He shook his head quickly. "I-I-It's f-fine! It's a… a h-holiday th-thing right? I-If it'll m-make you h-happy…"

I took his hands, and he tensed up. "No, Crona. I'm asking if you _want_ to." _That_ was probably the wrong thing to say, because he burned even brighter and became very, very fidgety. "No, no, no, uh… what I _meant_ to say was, I'm not trying to force you to do this. I guess I'm asking… are you okay with this? Are you sure?"

He seemed to think it over for a minute before giving a small, sure nod.

"Okay then… in the spirit of the holidays…"

Heart pounding and barely aware of our audience, I reached up on my tip toes so I was face-level with him and studied his expression. His eyes bore into mine nervously, his mouth trembled and his entire face was beet red, but I found it all so adorably attractive. Before I could question my sanity, I pecked his cheek and butterflies exploded in my chest. The sensation was so sudden that it scared me. I pulled back quickly. I still held Crona's hands.

"BOOOO!" Black*Star jeered, jarring me out of the moment. "That was _pathetic_! C'mon! Your god commands you to kiss,_ on the lips_!"

"Black*Star!" Tsubaki yanked my book from his hands and smacked him on the shoulder with it. "That's enough!" She handed the book to me, and I released Crona's hands to take it. "I'm sorry about Black*Star…"

"It's okay," I nodded. "All in the spirit of the holidays…" I glanced at Crona. Poor guy, he looked like he was going to faint. I wasn't much better off either. I felt really dazed… really happy, but dazed.

Crona shook himself out of his stupor. "I-I-I-I th-think I'm going t-t-to my r-r-r-room…" He was a stuttering mess, clutching his arm and his eyes were darting just about everywhere and never lingered for long.

I tried to look at his face, but found I couldn't without my own exploding with heat. So I looked at the spot above his shoulder. "That's fine, Crona," I said, strangely calm. "I'll see you later?"

"Y-Y-Yeah… B-Bye…" And he darted into the school.

I turned back to Black*Star and Tsubaki. "Happy Holidays, guys. I'll be leaving now, too. And Black*Star." _Why am I so calm?_ I grinned evilly. "I might be getting a _big_ encyclopedia set from Soul this year, so I'd watch out with that stunt you just pulled."

Black*Star blanched and made up an excuse about how he had to go see Lord Death, quickly taking his leave with Tsubaki trailing not far behind.

I started for home, strolling along, recalling what just happened. I placed a hand over my racing heart. _Did that_ really_ just happen?_ I felt my lips. I thought back to Kid's comment, or what I assumed was a comment. "Adorable". I flushed. _Does… Does Kid… 'ship' us? No. Nonononono. You're blowing this up_ entirely_ out of proportion. I kissed Crona's cheek, but that doesn't make us a couple…_ With that thought, came another. _What if we _were _a couple…? _I entertained the thought of me and Crona… together. I quickly shook it away. _We're best friends, and that's it. I don't have feelings for him, and he doesn't have feelings for me. End of story. _

It began to snow, and I pulled out my mittens from my pocket. _It's all because of the holidays and a stupid piece of mistletoe hanging in the wrong spot at the wrong time. _I touched my lips again. _We're friends. We're friends and I don't have feelings. A friendly peck. A friendly peck under the mistletoe. I didn't have butterflies._ _This won't affect our friendship at all, no. Nothing's changed. Best buds, Crona and Maka until the end. Nothing will change. Nothing will change_.

But the rest of the way home, I couldn't help wondering; _What would it have been like to kiss him on the lips?_

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**I'm not late at all, _nope_. …Okay, fine, yes I'm late. Posting holiday chapters like _a week_ after the holidays, LIKE A BOSS. (Not at all, I'm pathetic, and I hope you'll all forgive me). Anyway, constructive criticism always appreciated!**


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